Mask of Consequences
by Kennayil
Summary: They had it all planned out. From Anakin's 'betrayal' of the Jedi, to Padme 'dying' while still pregnant. They were betrayed, Padme is dead for real, and it all went to hell from there. Nothing is as it should be. [Several faces you know with mixed up personality]
1. Chapter 1

She could feel it. The Force was screaming at her. Time was quickly running out, and the ever present drone of "_Hurry. Faster. Save HIM!"_ continued to drive her onward. There was no doubt in her mind who 'him' is. She could feel his grief, mixed with a sense of betrayal. The Force had shown her everything. Now she rushed to save the soul of the one she loves.

She is close now. The exhaustion of the combatants resonated to her through the Force. She could see them; however, something was off. There was a great deal of satisfaction in the eyes of the man she once called a mentor and friend. As she gathered the energy to rip him away from the edge, time slowed to a crawl. She could see the man she loves leaping up from somewhere over the edge, and her mentor smirking in self-satisfaction as he prepared to strike. Desperation fueled her. Grabbing Obi-Wan with the Force, she threw him backwards. The unexpectedness of it sent his light saber through her love's mechanical arm.

Instinct caused her to grab him before he fell back over the edge. A cold, sharp tingle traveled down her spine as she stared into his yellow tinged eyes. Whether from fear, or some other base emotions, she was uncertain. A quick glance assured him of his rescuer's identity. Stretching out his senses, he scanned for his opponent and found him moving rapidly away towards…

"Padame," his voice was the barest whisper, but the fear was easily heard.

Ahsoka started lightly, guilt flashing through her for forgetting about her friend. "Threepio was taking her on board her ship when I ran here. C'mon. If we don't hurry, he'll disappear with her."

Without another word, the two friends raced back. When they arrived at the landing pad, they could see the boarding ramp closing. Their fear added strength to their speed, but they were too late. The Noobian craft lifted off and vanished into the stars.

"NOOOOooo!" Grief and rage rolled off both of them. Light years away and in route to Mustafar, Sidious smiled. His new apprentice was ready. _Time to retrieve Lord Vader and begin his reign of terror._ _The galaxy now belongs to the Sith._

Anakin wanted to kill. Ahsoka could feel his rage building so she did the only thing she could think of, she hugged her former master and best friend and kissed him full on the mouth. Shocked at the sudden gesture, Anakin's thoughts stopped in their tracks. He returned the hug and pulled back enough to speak to her.

"Soka. Track them down. Do what you must to protect Padme and our child. The Emperor is coming. If I should fall to him, I need to know they will be safe."

Ahsoka opened her mouth to protest, but Anakin placed his index finger over her lips. His pain and fear filled the look in his eyes. She closed her mouth, tears threatening to fall. Turning away, she ran for her ship and prayed to the Force that her tracking beacon was not out of range.

Anakin knew he needed a plan. He was too tired from his fight with Obi-Wan for a drawn out battle with Palpatine. _Face it. Unless you take the old man by surprise, he could kill you. Or worse._ A questioning twitter from R2-D2 gave Anakin the inspiration he needed. After issuing R2 his orders, Anakin walked over to the landing platform where Palpatine's ship was landing. Anakin allowed his annoyance at Kenobi's escape and feeling of betrayal to leak through his shields. Kneeling, he waited for Palpatine to acknowledge him. He did not have to wait long.

"Ah, Lord Vader. I am pleased to see you are well. Tell me my young apprentice, what vexes you so much?"

"Kenobi has escaped, and he took my wife and child with him." Despite the attempt to control his reaction, bitterness still colored Anakin's voice.

Palpatine could barely contain his glee at this situation. _Oh, Kenobi. I must find a proper reward for you. I couldn't have planned this any better._ Outwardly, he expressed sympathy and concern. "Worry not my friend. We shall find them, and they shall pay for their betrayal."

Anakin scowled. "They? There is no they," he practically spat the last word. Angrily he lashed out with a wave of the Force. He did not expect Palpatine to be affected, and was not disappointed. He watched, dispassionately, as the Red Guards flew over the edge and into the lava below.

"Lord Vader. Try not to kill so many of my guards. They have not wronged you." Palpatines hissed, angry at the effort and time that was lost in training them.

"You're right. I should save my anger for the one who _truly_ deserves it." With speed available only to the Chosen One, Anakin ignited his light saber and severed Palpatine's right hand from its wrist. The light saber Palpatine kept there sparking as it was destroyed. Palpatine did not cry out, but looked at the young man with fear and pure, dark hate.

"The Force decrees that you should live. For now." Anakin's eyes grew dark with fury as he continued, "but know this. I will be watching. And if you come after me or mine," his smile was dark enough to make any Sith proud, "I will remove more of your pathetic hide."

Palpatine fumed as he watched Anakin walk away. _I will have my revenge!_ Yes, Skywalker will come to regret not killing him while he had the chance. Palpatine walked back towards his ship cradling his wounded arm and envisioning all the different forms of torture that he would inflict on the traitor. He was so preoccupied with his day dreaming, he failed to notice the approach of a Jedi Starfighter until it opened fire on his personal yacht. Anakin's laughter was matched my R2-D2's chirping as they wiggled their wings before taking off for deep space.

A/N: So here it is. The first real chapter. Whatcha think? I like reviews. Especially ones that find grammar issues. It's an AU with EU elements, so please do not try to fix any perceived error's in personality or tell me "that's not how it happened." I know, I changed it. That's why it's AU (alternate universe). I had thought to explain this in later chapters, but given the nature of my AU, I thought I better explain this here. Ahsoka is older here that she was in the Clone Wars T.V. show. She was never taken to the Temple as a child. Anakin found her on a mission as a slave (and his history up to and including AOTC is cannon in this AU), and she helped him succeed. She never left his side since. He taught her as his unofficial Padawan, which the Council allowed as it seemed that her presence put a hold on most of his more suicidal plans. At the time of this story, Ahsoka would be about 19 years old. -K


	2. The New Begining Pt2

**_Chris Redfield-General Chaos_****: As much as I would love to answer your questions, the answers would give away too much. However, read this installment and hopefully you will understand more. As far as the polygamy thing, you're right. I am basing their relationship on several cultures in the real world, but with a more matriarchal leadership.**

**_Veritas1995_****: No, Obi-Wan is not Vader. His involvement is not explained until much later, but I will say this much. Obi is in a ****_very_**** dark place for right now.**

**_Li-Li-ThePinkbookgirl_****: Thank you. I hope I don't disappoint.**

**_Make sure you re-read chapter 1!_**

_And now back to our story:_

Ahsoka was in a near state of panic as she approached the _Tantive IV._ She had felt Padme's pain hours ago, but now there was nothing. She feared that Anakin's nightmare had come true, and his anger at the galaxy could be the end of everything. Her only hope was the contingency plan she and Padme had come up with.

As she began docking procedures, she could feel Master Yoda nearby as well as a familiar Force-presence. Still puzzling over the presence she sensed as she exited her ship, she failed to notice the human that had stopped in front of her. After landing on her butt, she loocked up and flushed in embarrassment. "S-Senator Organa. I'm sorry sir. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going."

Bail Organa gave her his best smile as he reached to help her up. "I understand. A lot has been going on in the last few hours."

Ahsoka nodded absently, when she finally realized what she was missing. Or, more appropriately, who she could not sense on board. "Senator, where's Padme? I can sense one of our children, but not her." Ahsoka's panic was nearing full blown hysteria by the time the Senator answered her. The look on his face told her more than she wanted to know.

"I'm sorry. She…"

"No." Ahsoka's voice was barely a whisper. "No, she couldn't have." She began frantically searching through the Force for her best friend. "NO!" She fell to her knees and began to cry. Denial and grief radiating off her in such intensity, that even Bail could feel it. Silently, he sat beside the young woman, wrapped a comforting arm over her shoulders and joined her in grief.

Ahsoka was uncertain how long they sat there before the soft tap of a familiar cane on metal could be heard. Looking up, Ahsoka quietly asked the ancient Jedi Master, "How? How did she die? When Anakin told us about his vision, she had an exam done. The found a problem with her heart and fixed it. His visions stopped after that. We, we thought it was over! She was supposed to LIVE!" Once again she broke down in tears. She had no idea how she was going to explain this to Anakin.

Yoda closed his eyes seeking an answer in the Force. "Know the answer, I do not. Sleeping peacefully, we thought, when Master Kenobi told us of her death."

"Kenobi!? He tried to murder Anakin!" Ahsoka was on her feet in an instant.

"Fallen, young Skywalker has. Killed many at the temple…"

"Idiots. Anakin didn't _kill_ anyone, unless you count those fools who attacked him first. Just because he followed in behind the clones doesn't mean he was with them. He was there to save the younglings. It's not his fault people were looking for an excuse to hurt him."

Yoda stood impassively for a moment before responding. His words were slow and filled with surprise. "The truth, you speak. More to this tale, I believe."

"Master Yoda," Bail interrupted. "Are you saying you believe her?" His puzzlement was evident. This was just too incredible to be true, and yet, according to what he knew about Skywalker's plans during the Clone War, this was something he would pull. "I mean, Skywalker would have to fool everyone, including Palpatine, into believing he became a Sith. Get into the Temple, help the younglings escape, defend himself from just about everyone, go to Mustafar, and take care of the Separatist Leaders. There is just too much that can go wrong." Bail shook his head in bewilderment. It seemed to be impossible. The odds of success were so low that there was no way he could pull it off.

Ahsoka gave a small smile, amazed at how quickly he figured their plan out. Taking a deep breath, she was calmer as she spoke. "You make it sound so simple. Believe me, it wasn't. Padme, Anakin and I planned this out over several weeks. Considering that the Palpatine had been working on his plan for decades, I'm amazed that any of it worked. But if there was one thing that I learned during the War, when it comes to Skyguy, the crazier the plan, the better he can make it work." Ahsoka seem to loose herself into a memory for a moment. Shaking herself physically and mentally, she continued. "I was at the temple ahead of him ensuring the path we would sneak the younglings out stayed clear. I'm the one who flew them out and took them someplace safe. I also destroyed most of the security footage involving Anakin."

Noting the look on Yoda's face, she forestalled his next question with a shake of her head. "I cannot tell you where I took them. Just know that they are safe, and they continue to train in the Force. There is one more thing." She hesitated. This next part would be the hardest for them to accept. "My children are coming with me."

Bail and Yoda looked confused for a moment, until Bail remembered her comment after running into him.

"Wait. Earlier you said 'one of _our_ children.' Are you claiming some kind of right to them?"

Ahsoka nodded and pulled out a data chit from her utility belt. She handed it over to the Senator as she explained, "Padme and I got married a little over a year ago. That is a copy of our marriage certificate and a copy of our Wills. There is also a recording from the three of us explaining our plan."

"Hmm. Just after your trial, this was. Sudden, it seems, for such a thing to happen." Despite his words, Ahsoka could feel Yoda's amusement through the Force.

She smiled at the bitter-sweet memory. "It was when they were helping me that Padme and I realized that we felt more than just friendship for one another. Anakin told us that he could feel the rightness of our relationship, of how the Force sang with its approval."

"I don't want to sound crude here, but who is their sire? Obviously you and she could not, ermm." He hesitated a moment, slightly embarrassed with speaking about something so intimate.

"Your true reason for not returning, it was, hmm?" Ahsoka could tell the old Jedi was fishing for her motivations, so she decided to give him what he wanted. She knew that he would not like this. "No. My primary reason is because I had lost trust in the Council. You were willing to sacrifice me to appease the Senate. Whether it was because I was never a 'true' Jedi, or because Anakin was my master, I don't know nor care. _And_, when Anakin had proven me to be innocent, not one of you, official or not, gave a word of apology.

'A learning experience' is what I believe you," she pointed an angry finger at Yoda, "told me. Well, I learned that the Jedi were no longer worthy of the position they held. I could not remain part of an Order that would have me constantly looking over my shoulder. The strain would have me falling in to the Darkness. For the sake of my sanity, and for those I love, I had to leave. And before you start in about my anger, by giving it voice and releasing it in this maner, I doesn't destroy me like it nearly did my former Master." She turned to Bail, who looked both shocked and uncomfortable by the scathing remarks she gave to the Elder Jedi. "Anakin is the biological father. He agreed to help two friends that wanted children. He's even continued my training so that I would be better equipped to defend my family."

Bail nodded his understand then motioned for Ahsoka to follow him. Two lifts and several corridors later, Ahsoka got her first look at her daughter. There was no doubt that this little beauty would take after Padme in looks. A contented sigh escaped her as she ran a thumb over Leia's forehead.

"Where's her twin? Where's Luke?" Despite the softness of her voice, Bail could hear the desperate plea. He could not look at her as he responded.

"Obi-Wan has him. We separated the twins to hide them from the emperor, and by association…"

"From Anakin," she finished for him. Small whimpers from Leia stopped any further comment. Realizing her daughter was picking up on the tension in the room, Ahsoka forced herself to calm down as she picked up the distraught babe. Almost instantly Leia quieted down, as the loving presence she has always known cooed softly at her and rocked her back to sleep.

Bail watched them together for a few minutes. He had hoped to take Leia home to his wife, but there was a rightness to what he saw before him. A sense of peace filled his heart as he turned away and left the two to bond.

Shortly after Leia and Ahsoka's bonding moment, Yoda was deep in thought when a familiar Jedi Starfighter landed next to Ahsoka's ship. Standing, he hobbled his way over to speak with Anakin. He waited patiently as the young Jedi went through the shut-down procedures and released his ever-faithful droid from its socket.

Anakin stopped before the aging Jedi and bowed deeply. "Master Yoda. I'm sorry for all the deception. It was.."

"Explained already, your former apprenticedid. Too late, her warning came."

A burst of fear escaped the young human and Yoda knew he would take the next statement poorly. "One with the Force, Senator Amidala now is. Lived, she did, to see her twins born."

Anakin looked up sharply. A strange mix of grief and hope filled him. Padme was dead, but the twins lived. "Where? How are they? Is Ahsoka with them?" The questions burst forth in an excited rush, but the look on Yoda's face stopped him.

"Gone, your son is. With Kenobi, he was sent. Believed, at the time, that to Darkness you fell." Anakin collapsed to the ground crying out in grief. Gently, and with great regret, Yoda placed a clawed hand upon the grieving father. "Regretful, I am, that unable to sense his duplicity."

Anakin looked Yoda in the eyes and placed his remaining hand upon the one considered the wisest of Masters. "You have nothing to regret Master. I was closer to him than anyone, and I didn't see it coming. If anyone is at fault, it's me." Anakin's voice was soft and laced with pain.

"No fault. Blame only one, we should." Yoda paused for a moment to let his words sink in. "Palpatine."

Anakin's eyes hardened at the name. "Yes, about _him_…" he then proceeded to tell Yoda about the encounter on Mustafar. By the time he had finished, Bail Organa had returned. A thoughtful silence befell the men as the pondered what was to come next.

Anakin's voice was strong as he spoke again. "I have to leave. I need to get Luke away from Obi-Wan."

"No!" Bail's voice startled Anakin. "Stay with Ahsoka and Leia. Train them up. It will take years to get a Rebellion set up. And we will need Jedi to help us. You'll be able to tell us who is trustworthy and whom to avoid. Never again will we call upon you to be soldiers."

"Wise, this decision is. Into exile we Jedi will go. Too dangerous, it is, to remain near the Empire."

"But.."

"Anakin," it was the kind understanding in Bail's voice that stopped his protest. "Padme was my friend too. Let me find her son for you. Raise Leia to understand that Luke is her brother, and no matter what, she should love him."

The Force seemed to swirl around Bail as he spoke, and both Jedi stared in awe. Never had they seen that happen around a non-sensitive before.

"He's right, Skyguy. I'll need help raising her. We'll take Padme to Naboo, then leave after her funeral. Besides, I want my daughter to meet her Mamma's family." Ahsoka's voice cracked on the word 'family' and she soon found herself embrased by the only man she could love. The only man who, for nearly a year after he freed her, she could even stand the touch of.

_3 weeks later – Alderaan_

Anakin, Ahsoka, and Bail had been sitting in Bail's private office discussing their plans for the last two hours. Now the time for the Jedi family to depart and they were loath to leave such a loyal friend.

"This will take years to put together, and we will have to wait for Palpatine to show his true colors. Once the people become disillusioned with his New Order, the Rebellion can begin." Bail's voice was quiet so that he would not wake the sleeping babe in Ahsoka's arms.

Anakin nodded in acceptance. "I will-"

"_We_, Anakin. You'll not leave me or Leia out."

He opened his mouth to argue, but the look in her eyes stopped him short. A whisper in the Force caused him to sag in defeat. "Then _we_ will join you. Once Leia is old enough." He ignored the look of triumph on Ahoska's face, but she still made sure he felt it through their Bond.

Bail smiled in sympathy for Anakin. He had been on the receiving end of a similar look from his wife many times. "One last thing." Bail looked directly at Ahsoka, "Mon Mothma, Garm Bel Iblis, and myself will keep an ear out for Kenobi. If we can safely get Luke back, then we'll get him to Master Yoda, or let Master Yoda know where to retrieve him from."

Ahosoka gave him a thankful smile and nodded before turning her attention back to watching Leia. She felt the painful stab of grief on her heart and wondered how long before it would stop hurting so much to think about Padme. "We appreciate that. Right now I don't trust myself to be anywhere near him. With Anakin's help, maybe I can raise Leia to not hate _him_. Padme would never forgive us for raising Leia to hate."

Bail stood and walked over to the young couple. Taking their hands in his, he projected as much protective, understanding and sincerity as he could. "If you need anything, come to me If it is within my power, you will have it."

Neither former Jedi said a word. As one, they pulled their new friend and enveloped him in a hug being careful not to crush Leia.

Two hours later, the young family had boarded a small unmarked freighter that looked to have seen better days. As they entered hyperspace, Anakin took Ahsoka's hand and allowed the hypnotic view to blank his mind. One day they would return and get justice. Not just for their broken family, but for all those who died during a needles war.

A/N: And there it is, the end of the first part. Some questions I predict that will need to be answered. Yes, it was a three way marriage. Padme was the Head of House, Ahsoka and Anakin her mates. In the movies, Naboo was depicted as Matriarcal with a lot of equal opportunity. Padme was a badass despite the lame death in ROTS. Sorry, I just don't see someone that strong willed "having lost the will to live." (quote from )

Bail is the only one to figure out that both Anakin and Ahsoka were married to Padme. No, the Force did not suddenly make him a sensitive. I was using the descriptive method to emphasize that the Force agreed with him, and add a bit of foreshadowing.

Yes, Yoda still went to Degobah. I hope that I got his speech pattern down correctly. The auto-grammar correction tool made getting through his dialog fun. (All those green and blue squiggles made me go cross-eyed trying to proof read my own work)

Until next time. -K


	3. Interlude

**A/N: For those of you who have stuck around awaiting an update, thank you. My laptop hard drive crashed, in this case literally. The reader heads impacted the disks because I dropped it. Since everything was on that drive and not backed up (except what was already on FF), I had to re-write the next chapter. Thankfully, I did find my outline so I was able to keep things on track. Thank you again for your patience. I also got hooked on reading a bunch of stories her on (check my Fav list on my profile page if you don't believe me).**

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RotS +5 years: Leia

Anakin and Ahsoka were sitting together watching their daughter use the Force to build herself a "castle" out of wooden blocks. For the last five years they had been living on the edge of civilization. It had been easy enough for Anakin to find a job as a mechanic, and Ahsoka had fallen into the role of a stay-at-home mother. Ahsoka let out a small sigh as she leaned into her husband.

"What's wrong 'Soka? You feel distant."

"It's nothing really. T'morrow is the twins birthday. It got me thinking about Padmé and how much I miss her."

"Why Momma sad?" Startled, both parents looked down to realize Lea had snuck upon them again. Anakin chuckled softly as he pulled Leia up on to his lap.

"We were talking about your mother."

"Momma 'Mé!" Leia's smile was an exact copy of Padmé's causing her parents' smiles to sadden.

"That's right sweety, Daddy and I miss her very much."

"Will I ever get to meet her?" Despite the innocence of the question, Ahsoka lost her emotional control and began to cry.

Anakin rubbed a thumb across his daughter's cheek before responding. "No baby. A man we trusted took Momma 'Mé from us right after you were born."

Not truly understanding, Leia did the only thing her young mind understood. Hugs fix everything. Momma is crying so that must mean that she needs a hug. Leaning over Leah wrapped her arms around Ahsoka's neck and whispered, "Don't cry Mommy. I love you."

Seeing the smile that slowly formed on his wife's face, Anakin decided to change the subject. "Lei, what would you like for your birthday this year?"

Leia looked at her father thoughfully, reminding him of Padmé when she was seriously thinking things through. "I want a baby sister!" was her cheerful declaration.

A double thud could almost be heard as her parent's jaws fell open. The glanced at one another, their thoughts flashing to the missing male member of their family. It was Ahsoka that recovered first.

"Don't you want a brother?"

Leia gave her a disgusted look, "Nooo. Boys are icky!"

Anaking nearly choked on his caff as both girls giggled at his expense. Wiping his face clean with his hand, he gave Leia a mock look of hurt. "I see, so you think I'm icky?" Sticking his lower lip out, he pretended to pout. This caused Leia to giggle even harder.

"You're not a boy. You're Daddy."

The rest of the night was spent with the family making each other laugh. It would be several years before Leia remembered this wish.

RoTS +5 years: Luke

Luke was working on his secret project when he felt a summons through the Force. Quickly packing everything away and ensuring all was perfectly hidden, he made his way towards the living room.

"There you are Luke. I have a surprise for you." Obi-wan pulled a small holo-projector from behind his back and set it on their small table. Pressing a button on the side, an image of a petite, brown-haired woman was displayed. "It took me some time, but I finnaly found an image of her for you. This is your mother."

Luke stared at the image in awe. The woman in the picture had long dark hair, pulled up into a strange combination of twists that created a crown on her head. She appeared to be laughing at something off camera. Just behind her right shoulder stood his father. Luke could tell that this was an old picture. _Dad looks so funny without a fuzzy face._

"She's pretty."

Obi-wan stared at the image for a long moment, seeming lost in thought. Is voice was soft and filled with longing and pain, "She was the most wonderful being in the galaxy."

RoTS +5 years: Winter

Bail Organa sat in the Palace Garden next to his wife. He was home for his daughter's birthday and his ladies had decided that a picnic lunch would be used to celebrate his return. Bail smiled fondly at the bundle of energy running through the garden. She is his most valued treasure. He and Brea had gotten use to the idea that they would have to adopt. Much to their delight and surprise, his wife discovered her pregnancy while he was home.

A FRUSTRATED SWUEEL BROUGHT Bail out of his musings. Looking up he chuckled softly. Winter was attempting to capture a brightly colored insect. Every time she would get close, the bug would skitter out of reach. He waited until the pair were within reach then snatched his daughter and tossed her into the air.

"Look at this Brea! I seem to have caught a pail crawler sneaking through our garden."

Brea held a hand to her mouth as if shocked, "Oh my. Whatever shall we do with her?"

"Well, we could feed her to the potted daisies." As he said the last word he began to tickle the giggling girl in his arms.

"Or we could feed her to the wild petunias," her mother stated before joining in on the tickle fest.

Winder did her best to squirm and wiggle free of her parent's fingers. As soon as she could feel the ground under her feet, she twisted free and bolted for a nearby planter. Her giggling laugher was interrupted only gasps for air.

Bail snuck around one side of the planter shouting, "There you are," only to laugh as a squealing Winter ran into the waiting arms of her mother.

"Or," Brea grunted lightly as she lifted her daughter, "we can take her to the blanket and feed her lunch."

One did not have to be Force sensitive to see the love this small family shared. Bail was no more sensitive than the next being, but he had faith that the Will of the Force would one day right the wrongs that plagued the galaxy. How could he not? After all, he took a chance with Anakin and was rewarded with a bright and wonderful family. To him, Winter had been a double blessing. Conceived when an illness had supposedly made his wife unable to have children, the daughter had sparked a new fire within her mother. Brea had gone from wasting depression to renewed vigor. And the people of Alderaan knew where this fire stemmed from.

"_Heaven help the fool that tries to take my daughter. For Alderaan would give up its pacifist ways to get her back._" Bail shook his head to clear it of that morbid thought. No, it was better to focus on the now. Enjoy this break from the galaxy and focus on the laughter of his girls. For they will help him get through the trials ahead.

**RoTS +10 years: Shmi**

Ahsoka sat staring at her newborn daughter as she suckled, mother and child bonding as only they can. Ahsoka was jarred out of her fascinated staring by a light rap on the door just before it opened. A dark haired, younger version of her mother bolted past the legs of her father and darted through the room. The ten year old applied a small amount of Force to keep from crashing into her newborn sister and exhausted mom.

"Oh momma, "Leia's voice was little more than a whisper, "she's beautiful." Slowly, as if she were afraid of hurting the newborn, she reached out with her left hand and stroked her sister's back, look of awe and contentment on her face.

Anakin settled on the bed next to his wife, amused by his elder child's reaction. His eyes settled on the nursing infant comparing her to her mother. Physically she looked like any Togruta newborn. The only indication of her human heritage was the soft blonde hair on her head, and the blonde eyebrows that were almost invisible against the white "eyebrow" markings she inherited from Ahsoka. Her red skin was definitely paler than the full-blooded Togruta. Only someone familiar with the species would be able to tell. This observation began a cascade of thoughts that ended with his baby's place in a galaxy ruled by Palpatine.

Ahsoka and Leia noted the frown on Anakin's face as he stared at the baby. Before either could ask what was on his mind he stood and began pacing at the foot of the bed. "I can't do it," he announced suddenly. "I can't leave him in power any longer." Looking at Ahsoka he continued, "If Palpatine has his way, you and Shmi would end up with slave collars and made to be servants for the rest of your lives. Once she's old enough, I'll get in touch with Bail. Until then, Leia, our training is going to get more intense. Ahsoka, you can join us once you regain your strength." With that, Anakin left the room to start work on an idea that was burning through his head.

Both women looked at one another and grinned. Ahsoka felt as if the galaxy finally made sense again. "Finally, I haven't seen him that fired up since long before you were born Leia."

"It's no wonder you and Mother wanted him. I hope I find a guy with a tenth of that fire." Blushing, Leia looked down and noticed her sister looking at her. "And I promise you li'l Memè, I'm gunna be the greatest Big Sister ever. After all, you are a wish come true. I just hope your more like Momma than me 'n' Daddy."

Mother and daughter shared a giggle of that as Leia left the bedroom. Training would much more intense now, but she could tell it would still be years before they were ready.

ßTBCà

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**Well, I know it was a pain just waiting around for that much, but I hope you enjoyed it. As the title stated, it is only an interlude. To give an idea of how I am developing the characters. I don't plan on changing the Han/Leia romance much. But how is for you to discover later. The next chapter is between half and 2/3 written. Don't forget to give me your questions/reviews. I will answer them. I am not the type of writer that wants "X" reviews before I write again. But they do help motivate me to hurry with the next chapter.**

**See you around. -K**

**PS: Can anyone explain why my line breaks came out as WingDings?**


	4. The Return

**Chapter 3**

In the fourteen years since the fall of the Old Republic, the galaxy bore witness too many changes. At first there seemed to be a rise of a new Golden Age; however, this dream was short lived. It was small things at first. Raising transportation costs, the need for government approved identification, and dozens of other small costs that added up quickly. Small shop owners, barely able to get by before the Empire, were forced to close their doors and seek employment with larger companies.

That was only the beginning. It did not take long for the people to realize that the New Order was anything but peaceful or prosperous. The lower-class workers figured it out first, but their warnings went unheeded by those who were supposed to be their betters. Officially, the first arrests went unnoticed; after all, they were criminals who broke the law. Only the friends and family of those 'criminals' noticed that humans were never arrested for minor infractions. This inequality started the grumbling. Grumbling that was ignored by the powers-that-be, who felt that those in such low class were beneath their notice.

Five years after _The Fall_, the first food riot took place on Coruscant. The Emperor ordered his troops in to squash the mini rebellion. Nearly fifteen hundred sentients died that day. Satisfied that his point had been made, Emperor Palpatine turned back to his plotting and never ending search for the last of the Jedi. Like the sycophants under him, he believed that his position, and Force abilities, granted him the right to do as he wished. This arrogance would end up costing them all they coveted and cherished. For among their elite membership were the vipers that would poison the rotten heart of the Empire.

They began slowly, using the common people to do most of the work. A careful syphoning of resources prevented those in power from noticing that they were financing their own doom. For the next several years, the Alliance to restore the Republic built itself up in secret. Eight years after _The Fall_, the framework for the rebellion had been established. Now, fourteen years since _The Fall_ came to be, they were ready to make their first strike. All they needed was a leader to inspire the troops and take back what was stolen, their freedom.

No one was under any illusion that this civil war would be quick. They all knew it would take years to bring down the military might of the Empire. No matter how much heart the hornet has, it will take careful planning to give enough stings to topple the giant.

Soon after the first raid, the whispers began. A dark warrior, using only a lightsaber, was leading the attacks. No one knew anything about this person other than their name, Wraith. Species, gender, even the most general physical characteristics were unknown. Security cameras were destroyed and their databases were sliced.

When these rumors reached the Naberries, Anakin knew that it was time. He packed his family up and they departed for Alderaan. When they arrived in system, it was the peak of tourist season. Ahsoka and Anakin thanked the Force for this as their small transport would not be noticeable or remembered. After a quick call on a special frequency, they landed on a public pad near the palace. No one took note of the unmarked speeder that met the landing craft or its disguised passengers.

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Three people were sitting quietly in his private office when Bail Organa finally managed to break away from the politics involved in helping his wife rule Alderaan. He smiled for the first time since breakfast with his family.

Pulling Anakin into a hug, he exclaimed happily, "It's good to see you again, Anakin, you and your family."

"Thanks Bail. I hope we're not putting you ou…"

"Oh, don't you start that. With the Alliance striking against targets so far from the core, it's perfect timing. Come, let me show you to your rooms and," Bail's voice faded as he noticed the mini-Ahsoka sitting on her sister's lap. "Hello there. I'm Bail, who are you?" His voice was soft as he smiled at the small child.

Pale blue eyes looked up at him as their owner tried to burrow into the teen holding her. Leia wrapped a protective arm around her sister as a polite mask fell over her features. There was no missing the protective tone in her voice. "I'm Leia, daughter to Padme, Ahsoka, and Anakin Naberrie. This is my sister Shmi, daughter to Ahsoka, Padme, and Anakin Naberrie."

Bail only smiled wider at the introduction. "I can see you inherited your birth mother's talent with words."

Shocked, leia blurted out, "You knew my mother?"

The adults laughed at the outburst, but it was Ahsoka that answered. "Sweety, Bail and your mother not only worked together in the Senate, but were also good friends. I'm sure he has a few stories about her."

Bail nodded at the comment, "Better than that, I have a few recordings of her speeches." He knew that the young girl would definitely be requesting those stories soon.

"Daddy, I'm hungry." Shmi's soft voice drew their attention back to the reason Bail came alone.

"Well, that is good then. Dinner should be ready, and I know Breha is eager to hear from you. Leia, it may interest you to know that I have a daughter only a year younger than you."

Anakin smirked. He knew his daughter's blunt nature had driven many potential friends away from her, but the ones that stayed were loyal and true. Standing up, he responded with enthusiasm, "Ah, food! Far be it from me to turn down a meal."

The Naberrie's followed their host to a private dining room to be greeted with hugs from Queen Breha. Waving an arm towards the table she said, "Please, be seated. We can chat while eating."

During the meal, the adults quickly realized that their teenaged daughters intended to take every opportunity to antagonize one another. Ahsoka saw no reason to interfere as long as they stuck to words. Shmi, in the manner only four year olds can, managed to wrap Breha and Winter around her tiny fingers. After desert had been served, the children were escorted to a game room where Winter got to seen Jedi-in-training practice skills with a lightsaber. The adults moved to Breha's study to discuss the fledgling Alliance and how the Naberrie's could fit in.

"I'm curious, Anakin. Why'd you come out of hiding now? Shmi's too young to be involved in thte Alliance and I'm hesitant to even allow Leia."

The elder Naberrie looked at the other and sighed. He gestured for Ahsoka to start, but she shook her head. This was definitely one topic she and Leia could not hold the temper on. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Anakin explained. "It's because of Shmi." He held up a hand to forstall their questions. "Let me explain. Bail, you and your wife are wonderful people. When you look at my daughter, you see a child. Not her parentage, not that's she's half-human, just that she's a sweet, happy child. Amoung the Togruta, she's a thing that is ingored at best. Some have tried to kill her over misguided notions of species purity." Bail's eyes narrowed in anger as his wife's breath caught in her throat. The idea that some would try to harm a child was foreign to them and their protective instincts went in to overdrive. "The Empire's view is worse, in my opinion. They would ignore her heritage entirely. They would try to make her a Sith or kill her if they failed. Even without her Force sensitivity, the only life she has to look forward to is that of slavery." Anakin paused for a moment to allow this to sink in before continuing.

"About a week before we left our home, the local law enforcement let me know that Imperial Representatives had shown up on world. Given the state of things in their part of the galaxy, was was being spread to mixed families like ours to evacuate. Ahsoka and I decided it was time for the last of the Jedi to start returning hope to the galaxy."

Ahsoka spoke up, her voice was low but strong. Almost as if she were channeling Amidala as she spoke. "I want my children to grow up into adulthood without the fear of war or slavery over their heads." Anakin took Ahsoka's hand and began running his thumb across her knuckles in silent support as she spoke. "It is for them that we do this. They should not inherit a galaxy that we should have fixed when we were teenagers."

The Organa's nodded in understanding. After all, Winter caused the same feelings within them.

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**Tatooine**

Luke was feeling exhilaration. The rush from racing was the best feeling in the galaxy as far as his fourteen year old mind was conserned. He quickly brought his focus back to the present. He had no desire to wreck at these speeds. Biggs Darklighter was only about three seconds behind him, so there was little room for error.

There was a tight turn coming up, then a long strait to the start-finish line. With only two laps remaining, Luke knew that Biggs would use the strait to open up his faster speeder. Formulating a plan, Luke entered the narrow turn at a higher speed than Biggs could handle. Just as Luke entered the turn, Biggs could make out a robed figure nearby. A loud shrieking scream, like that of a Kryat Dragon, could be heard over his speeder's engine. Luke swerved and hit his breaks, but at the speeds they were racing, Biggs knew that his friend would not come out of this one unscathed. He could only watch in horror as the right side of Luke's speeder brushed the canyon wall and crumpled like foil.

He wasted no time slapping the emergency beacon active and began breaking hard enough to stop near Luke. Grabbing his emergency kit, Biggs began praying to every deity he could think of to see to it that his friend would survive. As he got closer, his fear ratcheted up several notches. The entire right side of Luke's speeder had been stripped away. Luke had been thrown from the vehicle and now lay a dozen feet from his wrecked bike. The unnatural bend to his left leg let Biggs know that his friend was in real trouble.

After taking several minutes to ensure that Luke would not bleed to death, Biggs checked over the wreckage only to have his mind blown. Somehow, Luke not only shut the bike down; he also managed to only loose a few body panels and the power-relay to the emergency beacon. _That would explain why my locator isn't screaming out a mayday._

As he began the process of prepping Luke for transport, the rest of their gang showed up. It was Cami that noticed the approach of a speeder that had seen many days in the Tatooine sun. The teens breathed a collective sigh of relief as they recognized the Lars couple running over. Cami wasted no time and began speaking as soon as they were close enough. "Luke's hurt. That old fart Kenobi stepped into the middle of the race. I mean that literally. He just walked onto the track and it caused Luke to crash."

Owen Lars went from shocked disbelief to outraged. Everyone in the area knew the kids raced here. To do something like this could be considered attempted murder. How could a father do this to his own son? Owen was so deep into his thoughts that he almost missed his wife's calling out to him in panic and shock. Running over to the injured boy, Owen halted in his tracks. Lying unconscious on the ground was a miniature version of his own late step-brother.

"Owen, he looks just like Ani. How is this possible? The news said Padme died before giving birth."

"I don't know. All I do know is that I refuse to allow the boy to go back to that Hutt slime."

"Excuse me," Biggs interrupted, "But shouldn't Luke get a say in this. It _is_ his father that you're taking him from."

Owen was filled with an all-consuming rage. The couple of the teens stepped back, afraid of being on the receiving end. "Kenobi is a liar and a thief. This boy is no more his son than I'm related to Sandpeople." The frightened look on the teenagers faces forced Owen to relax himself. Pulling a device from one of his pouches he sorts through the display before showing it to Biggs. "That is, was, my stop-brother and his girlfriend. It's been a few years since this was taken, but he confided in me that he planned to marry her. Look at him and then look at Luke. The resemblance is too great. He has her build but my brother's looks."

Biggs showed the holo around to his friends. Silently they all agreed. Luke had to be this man's son. Besides, there was nothing of Kenobi reflected in their friend. Handing the device back to Owen, Biggs nodded his acceptance.

"Okay, we'll get him loaded up. Let him know I took his bike to the team garage."

Owen smiled at the teens before thanking them and swearing them to secrecy about Luke's true parentage.

Over the next several years Luke would come to love his aunt and uncle believing them to be the only family he had left. He would continue his training without Obi-Wan Kenobi. Kenobi made several attempts to get Luke back, but all would fail and result in Owen, Beru and Luke shooting at him.

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**Unknown Location**

Her rest was interrupted with a familiar dreamscape. She could see them fighting. The one she loved surrounded by a dark shadow. His opponent was younger, stronger, and faster.

Parry.

Thrust.

Her love fell, lifeless. As the nightmare faded, she could feel the urging. Right the wrong. Correct her mistake and this future can be denied.

She awoke instantly. Everything was set. Now she just needed to get to him. Moving as if Hell itself was trying to swallow her, she collected her few belongings and made for the spaceport. She needed to find him, NOW!

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_A/N: I should point out that when Anakin and Ahsoka married Padme, they took her family name. This was for several reasons, but the most prominent was that she was head of household. After her death, they felt it was the best way to not only keep her in memory for others, but to honor her._

_I was ready to quit with the story since I wasn't getting any reviews. Then __**ThunderSphinx **__sent in a review and that was enough to motivate me to finish this chapter and get it posted. So, special thanks to you Thunder, this chapter is for you. –K_


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